Key West on my mind

This afternoon I finally had the time to sit and read (Bailey is visiting her dear friend Alice) the copy of Sharon Wells' Walking & Biking Guide to Historic Key West (given to me by artist John Harrington in the KW Light Gallery earlier this month). It's a fab read, and it made me pine for the place, big time. To help me through, the magazine offered a recipe for Key Lime pie, and it seemed like a great thing to share it...

Key Lime Pie

Original recipe from The Deli Restaurant, located at Truman Avenue & Simonton Street in Key West, handed down through eight generations of a Key West family from 1950 to 2007…

Ingredients:
4 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup of Key Lime juice
1 cooked pastry pie shell
1 can condensed milk (original recipe calls for one 14-ounce can of Eagle Brand)

Empty can of condensed milk into a mixing bowl.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites and add the yolks to the condensed milk, mixing well.
Save the whites for later.
Slowly add the Key Lime juice to the condensed milk mixture until well mixed.
Immediately pour this pudding into the pie shell, before it begins to set (the Key Lime juice will cause the milk and yolks to set pretty quickly).
In a clean bowl, pour the egg whites and bead at a high speed, slowly adding the sugar to create a meringue topping. This should not be over mixed, but is ready as soon as the whiles will hold a peak when dipped with a spatula.
Cover the pie with the meringue, forming waves and peaks, then place it in a medium-high pre-headed oven for 4 minutes or until the peaks are nicely browned.

YUMMMMM!

Start your Sunday with a smile

I'm a bit sleepy this morning (I wish I could still blame jet lag) and trying to get my head around the busy week ahead (including the first day of the school year for Bailey) so I really needed a good laugh. Here it is, in the form of the oddest book title, courtesy of the Guardian.

The Best of the British??

You know it's bad when the New York Times reports your bad reputation...

The best of the Florida holiday, installment two

This Florida-time summary has to do with going to Key West. Liz (a.k.a. zil), Bailey and I travelled to Key West on the ferry from Ft Myers Beach. I hadn't been to Ft Myers Beach before and thankfully we arrived quite late because the place isn't one in which I'd want to linger. I must admit, the hotel didn't help. As you can see, the website makes the place look welcoming, charming and relatively clean. In reality, it was the opposite and I found it a bit scary. Now you know my limits. I'm again thankful for Liz's sense of humour. To my apologies (I volunteered to be trip planner on this excursion) she detailed worse accommodation situations, which made me feel a bit better overall but still slightly concerned for our safety through the night. To ensure the hours required to be in-room were as few as possible, we went to the beach for sunset and to a very yacht-club looking Publix, the area's one redeeming feature.

We left those diggs as early as possible for our ferry to Key West. This service didn't disappoint; we had a comfy table and chairs, television for entertainment and refreshments for purchase galore. Having made this trip by car (as a much-younger woman), I can confirm this is really the only way to go.

So, on to Key West itself. All I can say is I really love it there. On this leg of the trip, the accommodation was perfect. We had a two-bedroom cottage at Courtney's Place (see above pic of Bailey at the breakfast bar with the hotel cat), and it was gorgeous. Upon our arrival, we were helped by their amazing and lovely member of staff, Gail (we love you, Gail!), who ensured we had everything we could possibly need. Her great advice led us to several great things, like Caroline's Cafe and Sunny Days catamarans for a dolphin watch and snorkling trip (see above pic of Bailey and the all-women boat crew). We also got to meet and hang with Gail's very fun son, Jace, and Bailey is now a full member of his fanclub.

Now, the eats and drinks. The hotel offered a pretty expansive breakfast so we ate out for lunch and dinner. My favs included the Conch Republic Seafood Company (the food was fresh and delicious, and lots of people were eating in bathing suits and towels); Caroline's Cafe (the first restaurant of our trip and it was so good) where Bailey got to have her photo taken holding a parrot out front; Pepe's, the 100 year old shack of an eatery and bar...where the food was delicious and the drunks, a bit scary (their humour is depicted above, in the booth allocation pic...my kind of laughs); and Crabby Dicks' (yes, we had to eat there just for the name) were amongst the best. I totally enjoyed all the fresh fish done in any blackened state. We also managed to come across the Key West Lobsterfest on Duval Street, where although we didn't eat, the smells and vibes were delicious.

Now, the sites. There is so much to see, do and observe in Key West, I hardly know where to start. Some of the best, for me, included The Harry S Truman Little White House, The Ernest Hemingway House (see above pic of cat there, not for sale), The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory, the Old Town Trolley Tour , and getting to see the delights of Duval Street.

And, of course, the shops. In Key West I continued my one-woman quest to strengthen the US economy. Some of my fav shops around the island were Key West Aloe, Cuba Cuba (where I got these fab espresso cups), and Towels of Key West (where we got these super cool change purses). I probably should extend a big thanks to Walgreens, because we ended up there almost every few hours for some necessity. At least they were house in a funky old cinema on Duval Street.

A place that combined several desirable traits was KW Light Gallery at 1203 Duval Street. There we met the artist and photographer (and very charming gentleman) John Harrington. Mr Harrington took ages with us, to answer questions, show us work and give us ideas for other places to visit. I bought a very fine wall tile there, depicting the "90 millas de Cuba" sign.

As I said, I loved Key West. Thinking about it, my reasons come down to a completely relaxed vibe where everything seems fine, being able to walk everywhere, and being able to dress as casually as you can bear. The travelling companions helped, too. Going anywhere with Liz ensures the humourous side of the situation will be addressed and travelling with an almost-5 year old who thinks she's da bomb makes life amusing (OK, and tiring sometimes...and frustrating at times...oh, and I'm certain this trip with Bailey has made Liz a lifelong member of the abstinence society).

The only bummer was missing Simon, who would've LOVED Key West's mix of seedy and sultry. In honour of him, we took the above pic of his two favourite women on Simonton Street.

And so, it all ended. We took the ferry back to Ft Myers late on the Sunday. The ferry was packed, with a loud and strong minority being completely drunk. The crossing was quite rough and Bailey got seasick. Actually it was probably best that it all ended in this way because I would've pined for the trip for years to come.

Weekend break

I'm taking a break from my Florida holiday updates to detail our weekend away. Since Judy was in town, we decided it would be fab to meet up with my in-laws, so the grandparents (less Ron, who stayed in Florida to hold down the fort) could get together (have I mentioned my parents and Simon's parents adore each other? It's so nice for everyone...). Instead of making one set of people drive all the way to the other, we decided we would meet somewhere about half-way between Atherton and Hunton Bridge. We went with Leamington Spa, and I'm so glad we did because it's a gorgeous place. Our party arrived early on Saturday and we wandered around the town. There's a very cool mix of speciality shops, charity shops and high street stores and all of these are within a similar style (which reminded me a bit of Bath).

We stayed at a B&B, the Victoria Park Hotel, which was suitable for the needs of all our party members. It was very close to a gorgeous park on the River Leam, which we enjoyed late on Saturday. The accommodation worked out fine and again I'm very satisfied with Late Rooms; which is how I booked it.

All in all, we had a great weekend hanging with the family and Bailey was in heaven with so much grandparent attention. Judy left today and we all are going to have to adjust to reality...

The best of our Florida holiday, installment one

OK, I finally got the holiday pics downloaded, and just in time because our lovely camera died the night after we returned to England. Maybe it had just seen too much...

Anyway, in no particular order, here comes my wrap-up of our summer adventures. The first installment is family time.

We had the pure pleasure of staying with Mom and Ron for the duration of our trip and therefore Bailey had maximum grandparent bonding time (which was fab). One day included a Storms sibling get-together, which took place out on Anna Maria Island. Here are some pics.

The first pic is of the sibs, Allen, Karen and Ted. This was the first time we'd been in the same room in six years so there were LOTS of photos taken.

The next one is of Bro Ted and Karen, on the Gulf of Mexico. You can see Ted's bike riding has all paid off; he looks fantastic!

The third one is of Ted, Colleen and Bailey. Colleen, my sweet sister-in-law, hasn't changed a bit. I'd love to know the secret of how she always looks like an 18-year old.

The next one is of the entire gang, Ron, Judy, Allen, Ted and Karen, then Bobby and Colleen and Bailey along the front. What a pic!

The last one is of Bobby and Aunt Karen. Bobby is my fun and funky 16-year old nephew, and you can see, he's tall!

Tuesday, only slightly better than Monday

I survived my first day back at work yesterday, thanks to a steady stream of nice coffee (including a very civilised work meeting at The Grove, where we happened to see the England football team playing golf). This morning I had to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for interviews starting at 8:30AM, so I am again relying upon the gracious jolt of caffeine to keep me afloat. I do feel slightly less battered than yesterday, but only just, and I could've stayed in bed for several more hours this morning.

I'm almost unpacked and therefore slowly getting back into my groove. Of course that includes reviewing the latest British news and supplying my amazing commentary through this blog. Here are a few examples...

My body is adjusting to the very unsummer-like English weather. I'm wearing a cardigan and tights to work and it's August...

As a huge water drinker, I'm always interested in other points of view on the topic. Here's a recent addition to this research...

I have always admired the French for their reasonable attitudes toward food and drink. Now that I know they adore McD's, well, I'm sans respect...

I promise to blog the holiday highlights as soon as I have time to download the 450+ photos I took whilst on the road.

There's no place like home

We returned home on Saturday morning and, quite honestly, I've been in a jetlag fog ever since. I can't remember much of Saturday, aside from a delicious and very enjoyable meal in fantastic company (Judy, Simon, Toni, Monique, Bailey and me) at the pretty new Hunters Bar and Restaurant.

Yesterday I drove us into London, a journey I managed to complete even through the mental fog (although my passengers may disagree...). Bailey, Judy and I went to see The Wizard of Oz at the Royal Festival Hall. The production was a real crowd pleaser (especially the youngsters in the audience), and thankfully the theatre bar was close at hand for the much-needed Diet Coke hits.

But today I'm back at work...

I know I owe some blogs about our fab Florida-based travels, so I will work on those through the week....

The best of Key West

Thanks to the generous Internet cafe at Coffee Plantation, I'm checking in from Caroline Street in Key West. We've had a blast of a trip, making our base the gorgeous accommodation at Courtney's Place (Bailey and I shared a loft bed and it was so very nice). We ended up going up and down Duval Street several times a day and saw the best and worst of the obscene, the cool, the urbane and the vulgar. I must say, it was my kind of place.

We are in the amazing company of zil, our dear friend and cool companion. Travelling with her on this one has made the trip very fine indeed. We've had some fine laughs on this trip together and I'm certain the constant company of a close-to-five year old has made her a commited member of the abstinence club.

We did lots of local activities, including visiting Hemingway House and the Little White House. We also explored the Butterfly Conservatory, and took a fab boat trip on Sunny Days Cruises, to see dolphins in the Gulf followed by a snorkling adventure. This boat trip was the highlight of the trip and we were especially empowered by the all-woman boat crew. I got to take so many cool underwater pics.

There is lots more to report, including some mighty fine eats and drinks. It's been a feast for the senses in every way.

I continue my quest to strengthen the US economy by spending the almighty pound as much as possible...

The best of St Pete and more

Yesterday I spent the afternoon and evening in St Pete. I definitely was exposed to the best of the city, first at the fantastic J.Con Salon and Spa, where my best friend Amanda got a super chic and smart haircut by amazing stylist Erin. The evening was spent attending an Open House for Amanda's non-profit FBPDA. I got to meet some very cool people there, who thankfully made the evening quite enjoyable.

While I was out doing my thing in St Pete, Bailey was busy attending pony camp in the morning and gymnastics camp in the afternoon. Pony camp was a huge success, with Jennifer at the Windsong Farm making it a time Bailey will never forget. Bailey is going to go back twice more next week, and she can't wait.

I'm very excited at the moment because zil is on her way, for us to start our Key West weekend. It won't be a long lost weekend, due to the fact an almost-five year old is in our travelling party, but it will be a fab time of enjoying the best of the island and getting to relax with each other. Bring it on.

Sad news for my beloved

The news of Bennigan's fiscal demise is hard for my dear husband. Their Monte Cristo meal is Simon's deathrow meal.

Still enjoying Florida time

I just spent the weekend with Jamie and Bailey, on Anna Maria Island. We stayed at the retro Haley's Motel on Holmes Beach, and had a very fun time. Our adventures included going to Ringling Museum, walking St Armand's Circle, going kayaking in the mangroves in Little Sarasota Bay (where we managed to not cause a news-worthy kayaking tragedy, even though our kayaking techniques were pretty basic) and eating a delightful meal at the Columbia Restaurant.

Getting to spend time with Jamie has become a much-loved summer tradition. In past summers, we've met up in her home of Nashville (during what I believe was the hottest summer on record) and gone to the Algarve region of Portugal. Other travels together also include Prague, Paris, New York (for a fantastic birthday weekend, when Jamie lived in Brooklyn), and more than a few London adventures. We also made a day trip, with speedy Simmo at the wheel, to Hay on Wye, when I was pregnant with Bailey. Although travel seems to be a common theme in our time together, we also use our time to catch up on the latest and give advice to each other on various current concerns. Jamie is a dear friend, a wise thinker, and a hilarious companion and our weekend was a real pleasure.

Since I last wrote, I also had an amazing family day with the siblings. We basically enjoyed each other's company and hung out at the beach but it was a fine day. Bailey adored all her family and we all took several photos (which I will share once I'm back home and can download all the pics in an organised way).

Another fab time since I last checked in was getting to hang in St Pete with my best friend Amanda. I got to see her organisation's office and was given a "best of" tour of downtown St Pete, an area I had spent little time in aside from the Dali Museum. St Pete has a great vibe to it and Amanda's work there seems perfectly suited for success. Our time together is always precious to me.

I continue my one-woman quest to raise the US economy from its knees, through my commitment to retail spending...

I will update as time permits but in the meantime, I'm having a blasT and am looking forward to spending this weekend in Key West with Bailey and zil.